Fashion

13 Tattoo Ideas For The Hardcore Sci-Fi Fan

by Maxine Builder

There are a lot of different reasons to get a tattoo: To remember a special moment, to commemorate a loved one, or just for the hell of it. There's no more concrete way to show your devotion to a cause than with a tattoo, though, so if you're a hardcore sci-fi fan and love your fandom, why not get a sci-fi inspired tattoo? After all, more often than not, people get tattoos of things they love and want to be reminded of all of the time.

Science fiction allows people to escape into new worlds, explore possibilities that only exist in imagination, which makes the genre so addictive, and also so wonderful. Given true fans' love for their favorite stories and movies and shows, it should come as no surprise that there are plenty of creative sci-fi inspired tattoos out there, from portraits of a favorite character or science fiction author to extraterrestrial themed designs.

Before you get some ink, remember that you're stuck with that tattoo forever and always, so make sure you're OK with wearing your sci-fi love on your sleeves (or, you know, skin) for the rest of your life. But if you're totally committed to declaring your love for your fandom, here are 13 ideas to help you figure out the perfect sci-fi inspired tattoo:

1. Aliens And Crop Circles

Nothing goes together quite like aliens, UFOs, and crop circles, and those three iconic images alone, in any combination, provide a great starting point for a creative tattoo.

2. Planets

From Saturn to far-away planets, unknown to humans, in galaxies far, far away, space is where it's at if you're into sci-fi.

3. Alien Abductions

There's no narrative in science fiction more classic than a good old-fashioned alien abduction...

4. Ray Gun

... And no better way to fight off an alien than with your handy ray gun, like this retro-futuristic one (with sound effects included).

5. Garter Ray Gun

Take the ray gun one step further — with a whimsical, sexy twist — by giving it a permanent holster, complete with alien-inspired bow.

6. Roswell Greys

When Americans think of aliens, the image they're probably conjuring is that of a Roswell Grey, or grey alien. According to Wikipedia, about half of all reported alien abductions in the United States have been perpetrated by Roswell Greys, so get a mugshot on your arm to remind others to keep an eye out for these extraterrestrial beings.

7. Isaac Asimov

Science fiction isn't all about movies and TV shows, of course. It all started with books, written by creative, intimidatingly intelligent and prolific authors like Isaac Asimov.

8. Creature From The Black Lagoon

Another classic sci-fi creature, another classic sci-fi tattoo idea, especially when paired with a traditional-style pinup.

9. UV Mushroom Cloud

A glow-in-the-dark tattoo is perfect for a sci-fi themed tattoo, especially if it's a nuclear mushroom cloud. The tattoo's not radioactive, but make sure you know the risks of getting a UV tattoo before taking the plunge.

10. Celebrate The Stormtroopers

You can also show your love for your fandom by taking classic sci-fi characters and adding some old school tattoo details. In this case, pairing a Stormtrooper from Star Wars with traditional-style roses makes for a geeky, but totally timeless, sci-fi tattoo.

11. Dalek

Fun fact: The word "Dalek" is officially defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "a type of robot appearing in Dr. Who, a B.B.C. Television science-fiction programme; hence used allusively."

12. Eliminate The Cylons

Frakking toasters, man. Show your solidarity with Battlestar Galactica in the humans' fight against the cylons.

13. Design Your Own Bot

Science fiction is about imagining the future, so why not take the future into your own hands and design your own bot? Maybe it'll be the inspiration for a real-life robot someday, and even if it's not, it's an awesome way to show your love of sci-fi.

Images: hell_here, srjuelle, anthonygtattoos, lady_mcclellan, jonny_heartbreaker, liquidambertattoo, andreanatale85, charlie_tapper_tattoo, falcignoart, craigdownertattoo, tattooed_whitetrash, sharkyjones, mikeattack_tattoo; Instagram